The following terms are used in books about Alchemy. They have
the meanings given below.
Sol Philosophorum
The Pure Living Alchemical Spirit of
Gold--the refined essence of heat and fire
Luna
Philosophorum
The Pure Living Alchemical Spirit
of Silver--the refined essence of heat and moisture
The Green Lion
The Stem and Root of the Radical
Essence of Metals
The Black Dragon
Death--Putrefaction--Decay.
The King
Red--The Qabalistic Microprosopus
Tiphareth--
analagous to Gold and the Sun
The Queen
White--The Qabalistic Bride of Microprosopus
Malkah--analagous to Silver and the Moon
The Four Orders of the Elements are:
1. The Spirits of the Earth:
Gnomes
2. The Spirits of the Air:
Sylphs
3. The Spirits of the Water:
Undines
4. The Spirits of the Fire:
Salamanders
These are the Essential Spiritual Beings called upon to praise God
in the 'Benedicite Omnia Opera'.
The Kerubim are the Living Powers of Tetragrammaton on the Material
Plane and the Presidents of the Four Elements. They operate through the
Fixed or Kerubic Signs of the Zodiac and are thus
symbolized and attributed:
Kerub of Air----------Man--------Aquarius
Kerub of Fire---------Lion---------Leo
Kerub of Earth--------Bull----------Taurus
Kerub of Water-------Eagle---------Scorpio
Tetragrammaton means 'Four-Lettered Name' and refers to the
Unpronounceable Name of God symbolized by 'Jehovah'.
The Laver of Water of Purification refers to the waters of Binah,
the Female Power reflected in the Waters of Creation.
The Altar of Burnt Offering for the sacrifice of animals symbolizes
the Qlippoth, or Evil Demons of the plane coniguous to and below the
Material Universe. It points out that our passions should be sacrificed.
The Qlippoth are the Evil Demons of Matter and the Shells of the
Dead.
The Altar of Incense in the Tabernacle was overlaid with gold. Ours
is Black to symbolize our work which is to seperate the philosophic Gold from
the Black Dragon of Matter.
This altar diagram shows the Ten Sephiroth with all the connecting Paths
numbered and lettered, and the Serpent winding over each Path. Around each
Sephira are written the names of the Deity, Archangel and Angelic Host
attributed to it. The Twenty-Two Paths are bound together by the Serpent of
Wisdom. It unites the Paths but does not touch any of the Sephiroth, which are
linked by the Flaming Sword.
The Flaming Sword is formed by the Natural Order of the Tree of
Life. It resembles a Flash of Lightning.
Together the Sephiroth and the Twenty-Two Paths form the 32
Paths of the Sefer Yetzirah, or Book of Formation.
The Two Pillars on either side of the Altar represent:
Active: The White Pillar on the South Side. Male. Adam. Pillar of
Light and Fire. Right Kerub. Metatron.
Passive: The Black Pillar on the North Side. Female. Eve. Pillar of
Cloud. Left Kerub. Sandalphon.
